Blank for shovels



(No Model.)

J. J. JOHNSTON. BLANK' FOR SHOVELS.

No. 386,810. Patented July 10, 1888.

PETERS, Pmlo-mho n lw, Washlngton. n. c.

UNITED STATES 1 ATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES J. JOHNSTON, OF COLUMBIANA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY M. MYERS, OFBEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLANK FOR SHOVELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,810, dated July 101888,

Application filed March .16, 1888. Serial No. 268,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbiana,in the county ofGolumbiana and State of 5Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blanks forShovels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention,such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which IO it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the art of shovelmaking, and has forits objectthe construction of a blank having its tang splitand the socket formedwhile the edges of the tang remain integral with the body of the blank.

The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents 20 a perspective view of a bar ofiron or steel, withshovel blanks indicated thereon in dotted lines; and Fig. 2 is a similarview of my improved blank.

In the manufacture of shovels by longitudinal rolling from blanks inwhich the entire width of the tang has been split or severed great careis required to prevent the handlestraps from spreading laterally.

It is my purpose to produce a blank in which the handle-straps are heldpositively against the possibility of spreading or cross ing each otherlaterally.

eference being had to the drawings, A represents a bar of metal whichhas been rolled to a predetermined width and thickness, according to theclass of blanks required. The

bar is then passed through a suitable machine, by which the blank 13 iscut therefrom and the tang 0 split to a depth to form the handle strapsand the socket for the handle.

4 The (No model.)

body D of the blank is of a width from Z) to a about equal to the widthof the finished article made therefrom. In splitting the tang O andforming the incision d it is not severed clear across its width, but ateach edge portions (1. c are left uncut, or integral with the body ofthe blank, as shown in Fig. 2. After the tang of the blank has been thussplit, a little cinder is thrown into the incision to pre vent weldingin reducing the blank to the shearing point. blank the handle strapsformed from the split portions ofthe tang are prevented from spreadingwhile being reduced. After the blank has been rolled or otherwisereduced to its proper dimensions, the edges of the handle-straps arefreed by the trimming or shearing process, which in cutting off theragged edges and shaping the handle-straps cuts sutlicient from theedges to remove the uncut portions and free the straps.

The method involved and the machine for manufacturing my improved blankform subjects-matter of other applications for Letters Patent. SerialNos. 268,347 and 268,523.

l-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim is As a newarticle of manufacture, a shovel or other blank provided with a bodyportion and a tang, and having its tang split and a socket formedtherein and the edges of the tang left uncut, or integral with the bodyof the blank, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J. JOHNSTON.

\Vitnesses:

D. C. REINOHL, WM. E. DYRE.

3y this construction of the

